One of the stressful moments for parents with children can be air travel. How best to handle it to make the flight calm for you, your child, and the other travellers? Interesting information is just below.
Tickets and Travel Documents
The child´s information must be entered into the airline’s reservation system when buying a ticket. It is important to know that children are divided into newborns (usually 0–2 years) and children (usually 2–12 years) when travelling by air. Newborns normally travel without their own seats; children must have their own seats. Also, be aware that a child needs his/her own travel document (passport or identity card for a trip within the Schengen area).
Is Your Child Flying With a Friend? It Needs Parental Consent
If you are going on vacation with a child without his or her parents travelling with you, you must have written parental consent. Some countries require such a document, and others do not. Information on the situation in your target country can be found on the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs website or the Embassy of the Czech Republic. However, it is always better if you have the written consent of the parent or the child’s legal representative issued. The document should contain the first and last name, date of birth, and number of the child’s travel documents. The same information should be included in your case as the person accompanying the child on the way. You also need to specify the destination and travel dates. The child’s legal representative signs the document, and the signature must be officially verified. Having the document in two language versions (Czech and English) is recommended.
Staying at the Airport
Vaclav Havel Prague Airport offers newly reconstructed rooms for parents with children. Furthermore, the airport offers dozens of changing tables in women’s and men’s toilets. Prague Airport also provides prams for travelling with the child to the plane. You can borrow the pram free of charge and return it to the aircraft.
If you are getting ready to do a security check with your pram, you can take advantage of a special priority passage at Terminal 2 of Ruzyne Airport. This will save you time and make security checks more comfortable for you and your child.
For a longer stay at the airport, you can use the airport lounges, which do not need to be booked in advance. If you want to use the free entrance, you only need to present a card that entitles you to it and a boarding pass. Children up to three years old have free access to the airport lounges.
Baby Food Onboard?
A lot of questions are raised on the topic of onboard baby food. You can take as much food and drink as you need for the trip for a small child. However, liquid food must be in sealable containers. In the event of additional security checks, the liquid content will be checked for harmlessness. It is also necessary to notify the security officer of the baby food and submit it for inspection separately.
Onboard
On long-haul flights, ask for a seat in the first row. There is enough space for a small bath to keep the baby in. This can be booked for some airlines free of charge when purchasing a ticket, but no later than 24 hours before departure. In short flights, however, the first line is usually reserved for business class passengers, so please check with your airline for more options.
Children’s Flight Tickets and How to Save and Take Advantage of Benefits
The summer holiday season is just around the corner. If you are going on holiday with small children and flying, buying them a full-price ticket is not always necessary. Most airlines offer preferential tariffs that vary by age. Under what conditions can these benefits be applied?
“Children are normally divided into two age categories, but the conditions of individual airlines may vary. Therefore, when purchasing a ticket, it is important to read the information at a particular carrier,” says Josef Trejbal, Director of Letuška.cz.
Two Years and Younger
Children under two years of age can travel on an adult’s lap or their own seat. The child on one‘s lap usually travels with a great discount. For example, for CSA, you usually pay only 10% of the price of the applicable tariff. However, you can buy your children a separate seat for a surcharge, or they can sit in their own car seat certified for use in aircraft. Some airlines have already introduced an obligation to travel in a child seat, especially for flights to Dubai.
Two to Twelve Years
They already have their seat, and the same conditions as adults apply. Airlines often offer special child tariffs, usually at a 25 to 50% discount. Children in this age category are entitled to carry standard luggage. They get the same food as adults on board, and sometimes they can have special snacks, a so-called children‘s meal. Children sit next to their parents on the plane.
What Is the Age at Which a Child Can Fly Unaccompanied?
It may happen that you do not have a choice and you need to transport your child to a language course abroad. Flight attendants and staff will take care of them from your handover to take over in a target city. The Unaccompanied Child service is intended for children aged five to 11 years old. Children under five are not allowed to travel alone. However, some airlines increase the age limit for a child who can travel alone. “While in the past years, children from 12 years of age could travel without problems, the age limit is often shifted to 14 to 16 years of age,” says Kristýna Hrůšová, Manager of Study.cz. Therefore, it is necessary to read the terms of a particular carrier, even in this case.